M16, face may figure in Shifflett wounds

An unconfirmed report suggests that, in addition to suffering torso wounds, manhunt target Elvis Gene Shifflett received at least one wound to the face, according to an Albemarle County man who was monitoring emergency scanner conversations shortly after the Shifflett shooting.

"A man spoke of a 'major exit wound to the face' and used the word 'mandible,'" says the listener, who was tuned to the scanner around 6:10pm Friday, shortly after Shifflett was shot. The scanner-monitor, well known as a reliable source to the Hook and the community, spoke on condition of anonymity.

Shifflett, 38, is accused of attempting to shoot his ex-girlfriend around Court Square on October 13. The manhunt for him included two school lockdowns: one at Albemarle's Walton Middle School on October 18 and another at Monticello High School when police were in pursuit on October 20. Shifflett, who had been described as armed and dangerous before his arrest, was captured near Brook Hill Drive after he was shot by two City of Charlottesville police officers.

Among the details heard by the scanner-monitor was that at least one of the wounds came from an M16, a powerful military-grade semi-automatic. City spokesman Ric Barrick said he was unaware of the type of weapon, and City police chief Tim Longo plans a press conference for 3pm today.

Virginia State Police are investigating the shooting. "We're not releasing information," says Sgt. David Cooper when asked whether Shifflett was shot with an M16. Nor could Cooper provide details about Shifflett's condition.

UPDATE: Shifflett is in serious condition as of today, according to UVA Medical Center spokesperson Megan Rowe. "State Police asked us to not release his condition," she says. "Today is the first day we were allowed to release information." Shifflett was shot Friday, October 20.

32 comments

Redbone Coonhound October 24th, 2006 | 10:35am

Oh how terrible for you that you were incovenienced, Steve. Maybe you'd feel differently if it was YOUR head he had his gun pointed at! I for one am glad they got this creep, even if it did snarl up traffic (boo hoo, life is so terrible in Cville).

CinematicCteve October 23rd, 2006 | 4:42pm

That mug is priceless. Stephen Hawking, he's not.

On Friday afternoon i was among the many unfortunates stuck on Route 20 at the community college exit while at least three law enforcement agencies played hide and seek with this jackass. My kids enjoyed watching the helicopter circle overhead and, when they grew tired of that diversion, they counted cops for kicks. There were more than 50 sucrrying around.

At no time did any law enforcement officer stop to guide traffic or assist in creating any flow in any direction. To our everlasting credit, the motorists traveling through the corridor that afternoon did a commendable and courteous job of following standard right-of-way procedures while the cops stood in semi-circles, scratching themselves and affecting an air of great importance. So while the po-lice hunted their rabbit -- and, according to the report above, possibly shot off the guy's jaw -- scores of motorists were sitting in a colossal [mess], the likes of which make Scott Stadium post-game traffice seem like the autobahn. I worry the cops cannot walk and chew bubblegum simultaneously.

Robert Peel October 23rd, 2006 | 10:34pm

You wouldn't last five minutes as a cop on the street, you pompus jerk.

CinematicCteve October 24th, 2006 | 9:13am

Oh, joy. [I am disappointed by your presence].

CinematicCteve October 24th, 2006 | 11:42am

Comprehension isn't your strong suit is it, Slappy?

Redbone Coonhound October 24th, 2006 | 12:28pm

Oh, another gem from CluelessCteve.

CinematicCteve October 24th, 2006 | 12:49pm

It might be entertaining to prolong this friendly chat, but since you have nothing intelligent to say, rather like the microcephalic Robert Peel, then I leave you with this: do you somehow think that disagreeing with what I write will cause or compel me suddenly to agree with you? First, you would need to make a point. Thus far, you have been unable to demonstrate that you have one. Reactionary little girls aren't very impressive, skippy.

So let me spell it out for you: I never claimed to have been inconvenienced (but I'm not claiming it was very entertaining, either). Rather, it was surprising that no cops bothered to address the traffic problem when there were many drivers running through lights and making ill-advised sudden turns onto and off of route 20 that could have easily led to an accident and compounded an already difficult situation with the congestion. Indeed, the behavior of the cops was that they were relishing the chase, enjoying a fleeting moment of excitement. And in their enthusiasm for resolving one problem, they were creating another.

If you didn't see the situation or know first-hand what was going on, then you don't know what you are talking about.

But that has been evident from the beginning.

Gotta run, little one. Playing this game of tennis with a deuce of obvious trolls has become boring.

Robert Peel October 24th, 2006 | 7:49pm

Cinematic Steve, I did see what was going on and you don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about. You are another typical whiney leftie who can't be inconvienced while driving your Volvo in pursuit of the perfect latte. God forbid that the cops catch a wanted felon,don't inconvience me, you want your maypo NOW !!!!!

Bye,Bye, Steveie. Make sure that you don't get stuck in any traffic jams on your way to your I-Ching session. Next time you have a problem, don't bother calling the cops, call your therapist or better yet,Elvis Shifflett. You have much in common with him, starting with your low IQ.

CinematicCteve October 25th, 2006 | 10:12am

Bwaaahahahahaaaaaa. You'll give yourself an aneurysm. I hope.

Robert Peel October 25th, 2006 | 2:04pm

I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. Have a group hug with your Cinematic friends, since you probably don't have any in real life.

Sifter October 26th, 2006 | 7:12am

Everyone will like this. Go to Google, type in Charlottesville General District Court, go to the site, look for the block that says case information, type in the name of say, Elvis Gene Shifflett, and see what happens. You can search by criminal, traffic, or civil charges. Do the same for Albemarle General District Court. Since Circuit Court stuff is so interesting you will have to go to Albemarle court to do your searches, but you won't be disappointed.

Sifter October 26th, 2006 | 8:09am

So the M-16 is a powerful military grade semi-automatic? Christ here we go yet again. The M-16 is NOT a semi automatic weapon, rather a select fire weapon capable of fully automatic fire or semi automatic fire--some models have a three shot burst option. For those of you out there who have never had the pleasure of carrying one fully automatic fire means you hold the trigger back and the clip is cycled until empty. Semi automatic means you squeeze the trigger once for each round expended--three shot burst means you squeeze the trigger and three rounds leave for you--then you have to squeeze again for another three rounds. The selector switch enables you to pick your fancy in terms of fire. Powerful? Oh yes, it's a monster all right, it's so powerful that if you kill a deer in the state of Virginia with it you will be given a ticket and fined since it's illegal to kill deer with a .22 caliber bullet. Everybody loves to talk about firearms--it's all the vogue you know--but few have any real experience and watching bogus films just doesn't make it. So don't--do us all a favor--there's enough bad info on the internet already. Last time I checked the laws a .243 caliber weapon was the minimum Virginia said was okay to use since the guideline is a humane kill and the .22 bullet lacks sufficient diameter under state law.

timberland October 26th, 2006 | 3:38pm

Sifter...checked out the court records. Looks like Elvis had a bunch of misdemeanor speeding and driving convictions, including letting his dog chase someone! Ah, frankly I WAS disappointed....didn't show the "violent felon" the police said he is. What was your point?

Steve October 26th, 2006 | 6:14pm

All of you are doing the same thing the police have done.... making a big effin deal out of nothing. This wasn't even a hardened criminal.

Wasn't but a few years ago a former Albemarle Police captain was doing things MUCH WORSE than this Shifflett guy would ever do. Namely, soliciting juveniles on the Internet for sex. And the city officers recently jailed did MUCH WORSE than this Shifflett guy has done. I could tell you true tales of the local city and county police going back 25 to 30 years. Like the off duty city police officer, now a Sergeant if you can believe it, who led his own department on a high speed pursuit before crashing his personal car. Nothing more or less than Shifflett did. Except the fact Shifflett was shot like a rabid dog for doing it.

kathryn October 26th, 2006 | 9:52pm

You are of course all aware that General District Court only handles misdemeanor cases, so that a person's record of felony crime, violent and otherwise, would not show up when searching those records?

Shifflett October 26th, 2006 | 10:12pm

The family & friends are very disappointed with the way the story about Elvis Gene Shifflett was handled. His family had to hear from the news that Elvis had been shot. The spokes person from the law enforcement could have stated that they had caught him and no other information could be told at this time, just like he danced around other questions that were asked, like if Elvis had a gun and where was he shot? Just like they are still dancing around the question did Elvis have a gun on him or not on him? The law should know if they found a gun or not on him(this is a yes or no question). He couldn't give that information to the pubic, but Elvis' family including his 73 year old, ill mother had to hear that her son had been shot several times and was being taken to UVA from the news. No brothers, sister, or especially a mother should have to hear that from the media. If that wasn't bad enough for the family, we stayed at UVA for 6 hours before we received any information concerning his condition. We were finally told that he was being put on life support and no one could see him. When family members called UVA Saturday morning to check on his condition, we were informed that they couldn't give us any information nor could anyone see, but we can hear from the news that he is fighting for his life? Monday before Timothy Longo gave the press confress they let his mother, father, and kids see him for a short time. Would you know they haven't been able to see him since. What's wrong with this picture? We understand that the police was looking for Elvis, but his family had nothing to do with that. Just because a person gets shot running from the law, doesn't mean that the family shouldn't be shown the same respect as any other in a different situation. What would it hurt to be allowed to find out how he is doing, or to see him only for only a minute to let him know that we are there for him? If anyone else was on life support and wasn't running from the law, the family would be allowed to see their loved ones. The law got their man, so why should we be pushed away? Good or bad Elvis has a family that loves him. We want answers. We want to be able to tell him we love him. We want him to know we're here for him. What does the law think we're going to carry him out on our backs? We were told that he was shot 4-5 times. We want the shooting of Elvis to be fully investigated. We would like for people to know that Elvis is not the monster that they have made him out to be. Elvis is a good-hearted person that would've done anything for a family member or a stranger. We watched a young man turn his life around, him and his girlfriend build a home from ground up, start his own business, attend every family event, love his children, and praise his family and mother. We would like for people to know this side of him. We would also want people to know that love and drugs can push some people over the edge and therefore make a person do crazy things without thinking. However, we feel that Elvis wasn't only running from the law, but from himself as well. He felt that he had lost everything and had nothing else to lose. We love him, support him, and we are praying for his full recovery. We ask that the community not listen to all the negative talk and for those that know Elvis to remember him, not by what the news and newspaper are saying about him but by the way they remember him.

Elvis we love you & we will continue to stand by you.
Love you always, your family

Steve October 27th, 2006 | 11:32am

>

Wishful thinking. I can tell you right now the shooting will be deemed "justified". The excuse will be the officers feared for their life and they felt Elvis Shifflett was armed at the time.

Like I said earlier, a true event, let an off duty police sergeant lead his own department on a high speed chase and crash his personal vehicle, and it's a joke. Let Elvis Shifflett do it and he is shot like a rabid dog.

Shifflett October 27th, 2006 | 11:26pm

For all to know,
Just want to give you a update on Elvis. READ CAREFULLY then you decide if you think it's fair to him (an unarmed man) and his family.
Elvis is not in fair condition he's in serious condition as of today he still has a 50/50 chance. He can not move his legs, his lungs are not doing good so therefore he's still on life support, he can't use his mouth so he has a feeding tube & has 2 blood clots near his spine that can be very dangerous.
The family still can't see him. His 73 year old mother sits @ home waiting for the next phone call with an update on HER SON.
If this was your child how would you feel?
It doesn't matter what a child does good or bad a mother still loves them. It's bad enough that the POLICE shot an UNARMED man but to still put the FAMILY thru the pain of not knowing what's going on until you get a phone call, not being able to be there to hold his hand and tell him it's going to be okay. You readers have no idea the pain that this family is going thru.

Sweet Pea October 28th, 2006 | 10:47am

IF THE SHOES HAD BEEN ON THE OTHER FOOT, THE SHIFFLETT FAMILY WOULD BE SAD FOR THE OFFICERS FAMILY. Ã¢â?¬Å?NOT HAPPY”
ALL WE ASK FROM THE COMMUNITY IS TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND UNTIL ALL THE FACTS COME OUT. WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE KEEP THIS FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYS.
FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD ELVIS COMES FROM A VERY LARGE FAMILY & EACH & EVERYONE OF THEM ARE FEELING THIS PAIN.
I DO AGREE WITH Ã¢â?¬Å?SHIFFLETT”, WHAT WOULD IT HURT TO LET HIS FAMILY SEE HIM?
THIS COULD HELP ELVIS RECOVER FASTER, BY HAVING THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY AROUND HIM.

Christina October 28th, 2006 | 12:15pm

I did go to both site that were mentioned, very interesting to me that the name was Elvis Gene Shifflett Sr. Well, Elvis is not a Sr. he is just Elvis Gene Shifflett. The mother's and father's name were also incorrect also. How do I know this information you may ask, well I know this info. because Elvis is my uncle and "VERY PROUD OF IT." As for the comment made that if the shoes were on the other foot the Shifflett family would be sad for the officers, well the shoes aren't on the other foot because no one was hurt that day October 20th other than my uncle Elvis. The officers shot Elvis down just like a (as Steve stated) rabid dog. There was no need for the officers to feel threatened of Elvis @ all, he was scared and as the Family keeps repeating UNARMED and the officers knew this. But they still felt the need to shot not to wound him but to try to "KILL HIM". They officers still may get their wish, because Elvis IS NOT IN FAIR CONDITION as reported on the news reports he is in SERIOUS CONDITION, so do I believe that the officers are proud of their accomplishments my family and I believe that YES THEY ARE!!!! Also, for that statement if the shoes were on the other foot Well Sifter let but the shifflett family's shoes on you foot, would you still be for the police shooting an UNARMED man if it were your family member. I THINK NOT!!!!

Sue Ellen October 28th, 2006 | 12:53pm

I noticed that no one has mentioned this in all the comments.The law enforcemens were so scared of this armed and dangerous man, but they did not have the rescue team there for this bad sitution that they were expected. The resue was called for Mr.Shifflett and what I have heard that it took tthem 30 to 40 minutes to get there. POINT! if they were expecting him to open fire they would had been more perpare. You go to ball games, county fairs etc.and you will always see the rescuse teams on stand by. And another point, that these officers that you are so quick to support were so worried and wanted to protect the residents , well you should drive where this man got shot and you will see homes on both side of the cu-e-lac in clear day light......Well I don't know about you, but I sure don't want that kind of protection.

Hot 1 October 28th, 2006 | 4:51pm

Sue Ellen, What a very good POINT that you have made. I was not aware of this until now but I do agree that if the police were so scared a Squad would have been there.

Shifflett October 28th, 2006 | 7:55pm

Thanks Sue Ellen, very good point.

Steve October 29th, 2006 | 12:13pm

In my humble opinion, I suspect a small handful at the scene were hoping a rescue squad wasn't needed by the time they did arrived.

I invite any person to join ACAC Gym and accidentally overhear some of the boastful conversations taking place between police officers present. Empathy and remorse about having to manhandle or shoot (kill) a suspect is for the most part a political myth broadcast by police chiefs. Nothing more than kind words for the media to publish.

Any person who honestly believes there's not a small band of cops out there saying "too bad the SOB didn't die!" probably has a Support Your Police bumper sticker on their car.

Sue Ellen October 29th, 2006 | 1:48pm

Steve I can promise you I don't have such a bumper sticker on my car or anything else supporting the law. My point was if they had NOT been told by the friend that he was unarmed that they would have had squads there just in case one of their own was shot.I have read all the comments and I feel that since it was two brothers running from the law, diffrent crimes. but people have labeled Elvis along with his brother. Sadley Elvis was hunted down like an animal and shot down like one over a domestic dispute. Jeffrey broked into homes and there is no excuse. As you have noticed that each time they mention Elvis name it follows with jeffrey so people don't feel bad for what happened to Elvis. I cannot believe how a man with what Elvis did(pulling a gun on his girlfriend) could end up like it did on Oct.20th. (not saying it was right)but he did not shoot anyone.
.

Christina October 30th, 2006 | 12:05pm

Nor, do I have a bumper sticker supporting our local and state police and will not have one in the future either. True our police maybe over worked and under paid but I'm not supporting those who just have a "LICENCE TO KILL" let those who feel that they need these people donate all the money that they want, I for one will not. Over 50 law enforcement, dogs, and helicopter for 1 man over a domestic dispute was a little much. The difference in my opinion is that if the officers were shot (killed) we the Shifflett family would have felt bad for the family or families, but I believe that the officers that shot down my uncle like a "AMIMAL" has no remorse at all. As for my uncle Jeff I'm glad that he did go to my aunt's house to surrender, at least my aunt, my grandmother and another uncle had the chance to say good-bye before he went back to jail. He was scared that the police would do the same thing to him as they did to Elvis. The police kept stating to the media that Jeff is "ARMED AND DANGEROUS." How dangerous was he? He wasn't armed by any means the man was barefoot for crying out loud so does that sound like a man who wanted to "RUN" I think not. So "NO" the Police Department will Not be getting any of my money.

Steve October 30th, 2006 | 12:49pm

The police are underpaid? This is also one of the biggest myths out there nowadays. $3,000 a month is nothing to sneeze at. This is about $17.50 an hour based on 2,080 work hours a year. Then add in the overtime they make on the job, and the overtime they make working numerous off-duty assignments, and a local officer can make anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000 to $100,000 a year. None of this includes their benefits packages (health insurance, life insurance, retirement). And add in the monthly savings just by having a take-home car. Both city and county police officers have take-home cars now, no matter where they live. And the taxpayers are footing the gas bill to and from work every day of the year.

And contrary to popular belief, law enforcement is not even in the Top 10 of the most dangerous professions. It never has been. And it never will be. Whether they use the word "DANGER" to justify whining for raises or not.

Don't get me wrong, some of my best and closest friends are police officers. I see and talk to many of them on a daily basis. It's the newfangled "rookies" who think their base salary sould be $100,000 a year because their job is so dangerous. Some of them are also the ones with college degrees that couldn't get a job anywhere else making as much as $32,000 to $36,000 a year.
The police are not underpaid.

Hot 1 October 30th, 2006 | 3:18pm

Well Steve after knowing that I would have to say not. But I have heard police officers and family members of those officers say just that "We Are Under-paid" for the danger that we put ourselves in. Well in my opinion you created that career for yourself, the police officers are doing what they want to be doing. Pretty much so they can have a "LICENCE TO KILL."

Brownie October 31st, 2006 | 6:03pm

I am so sorry for your family

billy shifflett November 2nd, 2006 | 11:09pm

Elvis Shifflett is thirty-eight years old. He is a son, a father, a brother, an uncle, and a friend to almost all who knows him. He loves animals, Nascar, music, and restoring antique automobiles (which he did not sell to support a Ã¢â?¬Å?habit.”)
This letter is not being wrote to dispute Elvis Shiffletts alleged charges but; instead to defend his character. Elvis had been portrayed to be a horrible person and if I didn't know him it would probably be easy for me to judge him based on what I hear and read. But I do know him. Not only is he my uncle, he is also one of my closest friends. He is the man I could call in the middle of the night if I had car trouble and the man who would give me his last dollar if he thought I needed it.
Elvis surpassed everybody's expectations when he overcame a troubled past and tried not to become a statistic. He had a very successful business, raised four beautiful and intelligent children and built a home for them from the ground up. What happened? Imagine your life slowly falling apart. Imagine watching everything you worked so hard for slowly slipping away. The family is not blaming anybody for this but should the public judge this man based on hearsay. Until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, should you judge them at all? All of us have made bad choices in life, some worse than others, but that does not make us evil. Making one bad decision can change anybody's life and unfortunately, you can't just erase a mistake. Was Elvis a danger to the public or to the law enforcement officers- NO He was a scared man who felt that he had lost everything. And why shouldn't he ”Š”Š his picture was all over the media -armed and dangerous. Not just him, but his brother, whose cases are not even related.
I would imagine that the police chase was terrifying to Elvis but he still showed concern for his passenger and instructed her to follow police procedure.
As for the comments being made about Shiffletts in general, it takes an ignorant person to judge people based on their last name. Many people perceive us as Ã¢â?¬Å?poor white trash.” I am a hard-working man who had never been in trouble with the law. I own my home (no, it is not on wheels); have excellent credit, and a beautiful daughter. Most of my family led a similar life.
My daughter has spent several evenings making her Uncle Elvis Get Well Soon cards that he will probably never receive. Why, because I believe, the family is being treated unjustly. We have to get our updates on Elvis' condition from the news. Imagine worrying all day at work”Šplanning your day around the news broadcast to find out the condition of your loved one. How would you feel waking up in the morning and turning the TV on to find out if your uncle survived the night? And then wondering, what exactly does serious condition mean?
Despite the critism that the name is facing, I am proud to be a Shifflett. I have a wonderful and loving family that will continue to support each other through out this ordeal.
I am not asking for sympathy from the public. I just ask that you not judge him or his family so harshly until you know all the facts.
My love and prayers are with Elvis and I will continue to stand by him. To me, that is the definition of a FAMILY.
Billy Shifflett

Brownie November 4th, 2006 | 9:15am

This shows me me alot of good in this man and it seems to me that he was was found guity and punished on the same day (Oct.20th) They flashed these 2 brothers pictures on tv (armed and dangerous) so the puplic would feel as they do now(2 bad men off the street) What I read about Elvis that it started over his girlfriend. I really cannot understand pulling a gun on someone could lead to a man hunt and someone could get shot so many times. I to have a good job, 3 beautiful children that I am very proud of and a nice home(on wheel) as you stated that your home was not. I have never been in trouble with the law, (but have done crazy things over love) Oh did I mention I to have Shifflett blood running in my viens......................I pray for this family and hope that Elvis will get a very good lawyer.

Dave McNair November 6th, 2006 | 4:17pm

To the various Shiffletts here and others who seem to know Elvis Shifflett....

How is Elvis doing? Any word from the hospital? I'd also like to talk to any of you on the record or off about what hapened. There are many unanswered questions I think the public should know. Please feel free to call me at 295-8700, ext 231 or e-mail me at dave@readthehook.com if you have any information.